Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Name: Arthur Leslie Merrotsy
Service Number: 6622
Place of Birth: Angaston - listed on attestation paper/ not registered
in S.A. Births Index of Registrations.
Date of Birth: Not available - approximately September 1887
according to attestation papers. According to the Nominal Roll,
Arthur was born on 29 October, 1887.
Place of Enlistment: Brisbane, Queensland
Date of Enlistment: 6 October 1915
Age at Enlistment: 27 years 11 months
Next of Kin: Father – John Merrotsy
Occupation: Assistant surveyor
Religion: Presbyterian
Rank: 2
nd Lieutenant
Arthur was the eldest son of John and Margaret Merrotsy. He was a
trainee teacher at Angaston, passing his pupil teacher examinations
in 1907. He also took the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery,
Art and Science Examinations in 1905. These were in preparation for
a career in Surveying. Arthur was employed as a surveyor with the
Northern Territory Department of Lands and helped survey the
Barkly Tablelands where he discovered a cast of a trilobite at Alroy
Downs Homestead in 1915.1
Arthur trained with the Keyneton Rifle Club prior to enlisting.
Arthur, part of the Fourth Contingent, enlisted in October 1915, and
left Sydney on 11 March 1916, on board HMAT A67 Orsova
disembarking at Alexandria, Egypt, on 4 April, prior to proceeding to
France with the 13th Field Company Engineers on 14 September. He
was appointed Lance Corporal on 19 June 1917. Contracting scabies
led to treatment in the field in early September and at the 39th
Southern Hospital before being able to rejoin his unit.
Arthur was awarded the Military Medal in France on 14 October
[Source: “Commonwealth Gazette” No. 31 Date: 7 March 1918]. He
was sent to Cadet School in England on 18 December, returning to
France on 29 May 1918. Arthur was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on
29 March 1918 and to Lieutenant on 29 June 1918.The remainder of
his war service was conducted at the Officers’ School at Cambridge,
England and at Sutton Veny in January 1919. Returning to Australia
on the Armagh on 5 April, Arthur was discharged on 6 July 1919. He
was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1920.
Arthur also served as a 2nd Lieutenant (Q265359) with the 13th Field
Company, Australian Engineers in World War Two. Giving his next of
kin as Doris Merrotsy, he enlisted on 12 October 1942 and attained
the rank of Captain.
Source: NAA, B2455, MerrotsyAL: Barcode 8012346
1 www.trove.nla.gov.au/ Arthur Leslie Merrotsy.
www.library.unisa.edu.au/condon/teachers/school-list-byyear.asp?School=Angaston. Courtesy of Carolyn Lillecrapp.